United States Opens Door Toward Genetically Modified Lawns

Partners Scotts Miracle-Gro and Monsanto have gained a significant early-stage victory in their goal to see American landscapes covered with genetically modified grass seed.

On Friday the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued a ruling stating that it would not regulate a new bio-tech bluegrass, thereby opening the door for Scotts Miracle-Gro and Monsanto to continue to develop the mutant grass seed — which is resistant to Roundup, the toxic weed killer that has been linked to birth defects, breathing difficulties and skin rashes.

Bluegrass is the most widely planted grass seed in North America. Brought here from Eastern Europe by the earliest settlers as cattle feed in Colonial times, it has been improved through traditional breeding techniques in the past 40 years. Environmentalists fear that a genetically modified bluegrass would openly pollinate with naturally bred species — as has happened in Scotts Miracle-Gro experiments with genetically modified bentgrass in three western states.

In 2002, the consumer groups, Center for Food Safety and International Center for Technology Assessment asked USDA to list genetically modified bluegrass and bentgrass as noxious weeds. USDA decided in 2003 that bentgrass did not meet the criteria of noxious weed. The groups sued in federal court and in 2007, the court overruled USDA and told it to reconsider the question.

This new move by APHIS, announced on a quiet media day in advance of a holiday weekend, is sure to bring a firestorm of criticism once the word gets around. Courts or the federal government must step up and prohibit genetically modified lawn grasses once and for all.

“I’d like to see biotech in every backyard,” Scotts Miracle-Gro CEO Jim Hagedorn told the magazine Wired in 2006: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.04/turf.html. That’s because he would own the seed. And when his mutant seed cross-pollinates with the grass on your lawn, Hagedorn will almost certainly claim that he owns the grass on your lawn, too.

Genetically modified grass seed is greedy, it’s evil and shows a cavalier disregard for the environment and human health. It’s all based on the idea that we can spray even more Roundup, which has been shown to be one of the most toxic substances on the planet — especially given how ubiquitously the product is used already.

Please take the time to call your elected officials and let them know you think genetically modified lawns are a bad idea. The timetable for the actual sale of genetically modified bluegrass is unclear. But Friday’s APHIS ruling has started the clock ticking and we simply must take action.

About The Author

An international leader of the green movement, Mr. Tukey is a journalist, author, filmmaker, TV host, activist and award-winning public speaker, who is widely recognized as North America's leading advocate for landscape sustainability and toxic pesticide reduction strategies.

This is terrifying. There is absolutely no justification for round-up ready lawns. The lawn industry needs to wake up and realize that their priorities are archaic and destructive. If people want a lush green lawn they can have one without using gmo seed or pesticides. We have gorgeous lawns that have never seen fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides or a water hose for that. http://www.eco-lawn.com

http://www.organicgreensolutions.com Andrew Boshears

Who would be best to contact? And what should we tell them to do?

Anna

I would be happy to contact someone too. Who? Would it be possible to get a form letter going and have people sign by clicking? I belong to a few other groups that do this (momsrising.org) which make it very easy to do for busy families. They send out an e-mail about an issue and you just click to sign (it remembers your name and address). Is is possible to get something like this going for Safelawns?

Herman Boardman

This article stops short of leadership in that it does not specifically lay out what you want us to do and say. Please start an on-line petition. Certainly the idea of Roundup Ready lawns can’t stand, but without making it specific and easy your campaign to stop this will fail.
HB

http://www.alldownherbicide.com Karina Zedalis

Yes, Herman, Laura and Andrew have made a great suggestion to get an easy click-thru on a letter or petititon that can circulate. Also, connections with other like minded organizations & bloggers (ie-the Organic Consumers Assoc., LawnReform.org,etc.) would help spread the word and stop this Monsanto craziness!
~Karina